


Give Me A Chance

by Wizzy



Series: Love Is A Scary Thing (Corpse Party Love Stories) [2]
Category: Corpse Party (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Mistakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-09-29
Packaged: 2018-04-24 00:31:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 13,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4898566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wizzy/pseuds/Wizzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things will always find a way to work themselves out if they are meant to.</p><p>Azami is a close friend of the video game loving duo, Ryosuke and Tomohiro. What she doesn't know is that Ryosuke wants more than just friendship. She's just starting to fall for him, but then he goes and makes the biggest mistake of his life. Now that he might lose her completely, what will he go through to get the girl he loves?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. My Best Friend

“Oh I get it!” I said excitedly before explaining it to Ryosuke. “You jump on that thing over there and then you...”

Since he'd started helping me out with all of the game guides for my website, we'd gotten to be a lot closer. So when I'd gotten a new game just earlier today, the three of us were all excited to try it out.

You're probably wondering why I said three instead of two. That's very simple. Ryosuke Katayama and Tomohiro Ohkawa were near inseparable. You can't have one without the other. But I really didn't mind that. Ryosuke and I were the main brains behind the site, while Tomohiro was happy with handling all the notes we'd need to make up the info for my website. Well, I really should say it was  _ours_  since we were all partners now.

“Haha! Got it!” Ryosuke was the one playing the game while I was right next him. I noticed that every so often he'd shift how he was sitting. This seemed to happen even more whenever I brushed up against him. I had no idea why though.

We'd been at this for a couple hours now. No one seemed to mind. Of course, this was just a normal night for us. Even Ryosuke's mother didn't seem to mind. She was probably just happy that her son was actually hanging around with a girl.

 

_(Ryosuke's Mother's POV)_

The three of them seemed to be having so much fun. For a while I was a bit worried about Ryosuke. All he'd ever do was play games and hang out with Tomohiro. Not that there was anything wrong with that.

But he didn't seem to show any interest in any girls outside of those silly dating sims he'd been obsessed with lately. I almost started to wonder if maybe he didn't like girls, but then why play a game about dating girls?

As I watched them the last few weeks though, I began to notice how he'd been watching that girl he sat with now. Azami was as much of a game fanatic as Ryosuke and Tomohiro. Perhaps that was why he seemed to have a little crush on her. It was kind of funny in a way.

He'd come home one day with a bruise on his jaw. When I'd asked about it, he'd only laughed. He told me that a girl at school had punched him. The next day Ryosuke had brought her home and introduced us. I couldn't say for sure how that happened, but it seemed to be good for him.

Watching them now, I couldn't help but laugh at the memories. “You're thinking about when she first started hanging around those two, aren't you?” my husband's voice said behind me. As I was leaning against the counter, he walked up beside me.

“It's a very funny story when you look at them now,” I told him. The three of them were so cute together. The perfect little trio of friends.

“You know, it's been awhile since the two of us did something alone. Why don't we leave these three for a little while?” my husband suggested as we watched them. “I know Ryosuke wouldn't do anything and that girl doesn't seem to have the same feelings he does. I think we could get out for a few hours without having to worry about them. Maybe it'll even be good for them to have a bit of time without us watching every little thing they do.”

I smiled and figured he was right. “Let's go.”


	2. Alone Together

_(Ryosuke's POV)_

After my parents had left, I felt a little relieved. I almost wished Tomohiro would leave too. But I knew if he did, I probably couldn't control myself.

Every time she just barely touched me, it drove me crazy. Did she really have to sit so close to me? I was just barely managing to contain myself. If I was left alone with her, I don't think I could handle it.

Just thinking about it made it harder. I re-adjusted how I was sitting for the millionth time tonight.

“I really should be getting home,” I heard Tomohiro say from beside me. He stood up and gave me a smile as he walked by. It made me wonder if he was leaving just to give me a moment alone with Azami. As much as I wanted it, that wasn't a good idea with what I was feeling right now.

 _No! You should stay!_ That's what I should have said. But no matter what I wanted, that wasn't what came out. “Okay.” Of all the things I should have said, I couldn't say any of them.

“See ya Tomohiro,” Azami said in that sweet voice of hers. I watched her as she watched him leave.

There was no way I could do this.  _Please, whatever you do, don't touch me!_ I silently begged. Knowing her, if I'd actually told her that, she would take it the wrong way. Or even worse, she might do it because I said not to.  _NO! Don't think about that!_ I mentally slapped myself. Distance. I needed to put some space between the two of us.

“Ryosuke? Are you alright?” she asked when I shifted over to make some space between us. Her hand reached over, but I moved away from it. That only seemed to confuse and upset her. “Maybe I should go...”

 _Yes! You need to go before I completely lose it!_ I shouted at her in my mind, but that wasn't what I said. “Please stay.”  _No!_ I didn't want to risk hurting her, but I couldn't control myself. It was taking all I had not to tackle her right this second. _Please don't let me hurt her!_

“Are you sure? You look like you're not feeling well,” she asked, touching my arm comfortingly. I refused to let myself move at all. There was no way I'd let myself hurt her. I loved her.

“I-I'm alright. I-I promise...” That was a lie. I was far from alright.  _I want to touch you... No! Stop thinking that! You can't and you know it!_  I seemed to be yelling at myself a lot lately.

She looked me over with a concerned look on her face, before sighing. “I'm gonna go... I'll see yo-” As she stood up to leave, her foot got caught in the jacket of my school uniform that I'd carelessly left on the floor. She tripped and fell to the floor. Lucky for her, she had caught herself. Unlucky for me was the position that she was left in.

 _I... can't do this..._ The last bit of control I had was shattering right in front of me. I was completely gone.


	3. Ryosuke's Mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the Mature rating and the warning come in. But without this scene, there would be no story.

_(Azami's POV)_

_That could have hurt if I hadn't caught myself,_ I thought. I was on my hands and knees like I was crawling, then before I could even realize what was happening, I was flat on my back. A pair of lips pushed forcefully against mine. My arms were trapped between our chests, leaving me defenseless against him.

Ryosuke's hand brushed against the inner part of my thigh and started traveling up higher. In a desperate attempt to make him stop, I pushed against him as much I could. He broke the kiss but his hand stayed put.

“W-what are you doing?” I hadn't meant to sound so scared, but this situation wasn't one I wanted to be in. Sure, I did kinda like him, but I didn't want to do  _this_ with him. Not yet anyway. I was more scared than I'd ever been in my entire life.

He didn't say anything. It was like he couldn't even hear me. “Ryosuke?” Nothing. He wouldn't really go that far, would he? No, not the Ryosuke I knew. He would never do something like that. But this wasn't the same Ryosuke anymore. It was like someone else had completely taken him over.

His hand rubbed against my panties. Squirming in his grip, I begged him to stop. But again he couldn't seem to hear me. Sliding them down just a bit, he slipped his hand inside them.

“Please don't do this...” I cried, trying not to panic. He traced his finger around my entrance, like he was taunting me. As he started to do it again, I tried to move away, making it slip inside instead. As he slid a second finger in, I whimpered.

“No... please no...” I begged him again. It was useless. There was no way he was going to let me go.

He removed his hand and lifted off of me. For a moment, I thought he was going to stop and let me go. Nope. He took both of my hands and placed them on his belt. I froze. Looking up at him, I tried desperately not to cry.

 _It's just a bad dream. This isn't happening..._  I tried to convince myself that this wasn't real as he made me undo the front of his pants. Afterward, he sat up on his knees, giving me a chance to get away.

However, the moment I'd rolled around and started to get up, he grabbed me from behind. I was trapped.

While I was on my hands and knees, I couldn't do anything to fight back. His chest pressed against my back as he slid my panties down even further. His hand rubbed the exposed skin, sliding his fingers in again. As he slid them in and out faster, I let out an involuntary moan. I had to remind myself that I didn't want this, but my body was started to betray me.

He moved his hand away and pulled his pants down. Ryosuke pulled my body back towards his, making his dick rub against me. “Ry...osuke...” I'd meant to tell him to stop, but only ended up moaning his name. When I saw that it pleased him, I tried again to tell him that I wanted him to stop. “Ryosuke, stop!”

Again I was ignored. His grip loosened just a bit, making me think that maybe he was going to listen to me. But when I felt his tip pressing against me, I knew there was no chance of that. I could hear him breathing heavily, he was going to do this whether I wanted it or not.

 _It's just a bad dream..._  All I could do was hope that this was just a nightmare as his dick slammed into my pussy. It took all I had not to scream from the pain. Without even waiting for me to adjust, he pulled out and thrust it back in even harder.

I wanted to cry, to scream. But I kept telling myself not to, just waiting for it to be over. What had happened to the sweet gentle Ryosuke I knew? Who was this stranger in his body? All I could do was tell myself it was all a dream, though I knew it wasn't.

This entire time, he hadn't said a word. “You feel so good...” he groaned as he thrust his dick in and out of me. “Say my name again...”

That voice was so different than his normal one. They couldn't be the same person. This couldn't my Ryosuke, my best friend. When I only whimpered in pain, his thrusts got rougher. “Say my name,” he demanded.

“R-Ryosuke...” I whimpered before feeling him release inside of me.

When he finally let go of me, I just fell to the floor. I sat there looking up at him, holding my legs together as tightly as I could, like that could somehow protect me from what he'd already done. It was stupid, but it was all I could do.

My body hurt and I could feel what was left of him in me. It felt disgusting and it made me feel dirty. After quietly fixing my clothes, I watched him as he redid his pants.

As I did, it dawned on me just what had happened. He was my best friend and he... he just... As I thought those words, I burst into tears.

Ryosuke had just raped me.

_(Ryosuke's POV)_

Azami just suddenly started crying. “Azami? Why are...” I'd been about to ask her why she was crying, but then I realized I knew exactly why. It was all my fault. I'd tried so hard not to, but I ended up hurting her anyway.

 _What have I done?_ “Azami? I'm so-” I reached out to her, trying to comfort her. She just slapped my hand away.

“Don't touch me!” she sobbed. Since I was between her and the front door, Azami tried to run off in the other direction. When she stumbled a few times, I wondered just how painful that had been for her.

She'd been begging me to stop, but it was like her voice was far away where I couldn't hear her. Everything had been such a blur for me, I couldn't really tell what I'd been doing until it was too late. I'd completely lost control of myself and had only just now managed to regain control.

Angry at myself for what I'd done to her, I punched the floor.  _She'll never speak to me again! What do I do?_  That's when I realized that one of my friends would know.  _Tomohiro! No, he had practically no experience with girls, so he wouldn't have a clue. Kurosaki? He might blab about it and then I'd really be screwed. Ah!_   _Masato would know! He's a genius and I know he'd keep his mouth shut about it._

I grabbed my phone and frantically called his number. “Come on, be there....” It went to voicemail. “Damn it! Masato Fukuroi you answer this phone! It's important!” I hung up and immediately tried again. This time he answered.

“Ryosuke, you realize how late it is on a school night?” Fukuroi's voice sounded annoyed the way it always did when Tomohiro and I would play video games in the student council room. It was only eight at night, what was he complaining for?

“I need you to get over here now,” I said, trying not to panic.

“Can't this wait until tomorrow?”

“No! I screwed up big time.”


	4. Never Want To See You Again

_(Azami's POV)_

I found myself sitting on Ryosuke's bed and hugging his pillow to my chest. It smelled just like he did; like my Ryosuke. That Ryosuke would never have done that to me, he was too gentle and kind for that. But the two were the same person. How could he have done this?

“Azami?” a voice called from the doorway. At first I wondered if it was him. But the voice was a girl's voice, not even his mother's. I knew that voice, but why was she here?

Tohko came over and sat down beside me. Without saying anything, I hugged the pillow even tighter. “It's okay,” she said as she rubbed my back soothingly. “Whatever he did, I'm sure he didn't mean to.” Did she not know? Of course not. What guy in his right mind would tell someone he'd just.... I didn't even want to think about it.

“What are you doing here?” I sniffed. I'd stopped crying only a little while ago. Thinking about it, it made no sense for her to be here.

“Fukuroi called me.” That only confused me more. What did Fukuroi have to do with any of this? “He said that Ryosuke was panicking and mentioned something about girl trouble. I asked him why he wasn't calling Mitsuki and he only said that she'd just try to kill Ryosuke.”

That would explain it, but if he'd known to call Tohko instead of Mitsuki, did that mean Ryosuke had told Fukuroi what he'd done? “He didn't say what Ryosuke did, did he?” It was pointless to really ask that question, since it was obvious she didn't really know.

“Fukuroi didn't say. It couldn't really be that bad though, right?” She smiled at me as she talked. If only she knew just what had happened. “What did he do anyway? Even if it seems bad now, one day you'll be laughing at how silly it was for you to let it upset you this much.”

_Would you still be saying that if you knew?_

 

_(Fukuroi's POV)_

When Ryosuke had first told me what happened, I couldn't believe him. It seemed to be impossible that he'd do anything like that. But if he was calling me and panicking like he was, then there was no doubt that he'd done what he'd said.

Thinking the situation through, I figured that it would be smart to call one of the girls to make sure Azami was alright. Mitsuki was my first thought, but if she found out what had happened, she'd be more likely to murder Ryosuke. To me it may be clear that he hadn't meant to do it, but another girl wouldn't see it that way. Emi was nice enough, but I had a feeling she wouldn't be much help. That left Tohko. She seemed to be the only option. At least Azami got along with her.

“I screwed up. I really screwed up.” Ryosuke kept repeating the same thing over and over as he paced back and forth in the room. After I'd gotten here, he explained everything. It was surprising that he'd called me instead of Tomohiro or even Kensuke. But then again, if you thought it out, it did make sense.

“You need to calm down,” I told him, grabbing his shoulders to stop him from pacing. Just watching him gave me a headache. “The only thing you can do about it now is talk to her. Once she's calmed down, she'll understand if you tell her everything you've told me and show her that you never meant to do it.”

“What she doesn't? You didn't see the look on her face when I tried to apologize! She'll never speak to me again!” Something told me there was something he wasn't saying. Why should he be so concerned about her never speaking to him again? They had always gotten along just fine before without speaking to each other, so what had changed in the past few weeks?

“Calm down,” I repeated. “Everything will be fine.” We heard a door close and turned to see Tohko standing there with Azami. Tohko was smiling, so I took that as a good sign.

“Go ahead, everything will be alright. Just talk to him,” I heard Tohko tell her quietly. Following her example, I told Ryosuke to do the same, but also to keep some distance from her so he wouldn't scare her.

 

_(Azami's POV)_

I felt like I was going to cry again. I didn't want to talk to him. All I wanted was to run away.

“I...” I'd started to talk, but the words just didn't want to come out. Looking up at him, he seemed to be upset. Was he afraid that I'd turn him in or something? Letting my emotions get the better of me, tears started falling again. “I don't want to talk to you! I hate you! I never want to see you again!” The came out as a mix of shouting and sobbing as I ran out the door. As I ran, I didn't even bother to look back.

 

_(Tohko's POV)_

When Azami had said that she never wanted to see Katayama again, it surprised all of us. When we'd spoken just moments before, she had agreed that she'd talk it over with him. He must have done something worse than I'd thought. But it still couldn't have been that bad, right?

He wasn't like Shimada; he'd never force her to do anything to him like that. He wasn't a pervert like Kurosaki either. The worst thing he ever did was fool around with a couple girls on that silly game of his. Katayama was a decent guy, maybe not as great as Yuuya, but even so... What could he possibly have done to her?

When he'd tried to run after her, Fukuroi stopped him. As a girl, I thought he should have gone after her. But then again, no one would tell me what he'd done. Maybe the best thing would have been to let her have some space.

“What did you do to her?”


	5. Don't Touch Me

_(Ryosuke's POV)_

The next day at school I wasn't sure how she was going to react. I'd hoped that maybe Azami would be her normal self. But after what I'd done to her, I doubt she'd ever be the same girl I'd fallen in love with ever again.

I wished that last night had just been one big nightmare. It had kept me up all night long, thinking about it.

Looking at her now, she seemed to be acting like her normal self. That was a relief. As I approached her though, Azami's normal self started fading away.

“Azami?” I asked uneasily. I was nervous about talking to her. What do you say to a girl that you... I don't even want to think the word. “C-can I talk to you?”

She looked like she was still upset with me. Can't say I blame her. I certainly wouldn't want to talk to me if I were her. “Just stay away from me.”

Without another word, she walked off down the hallway. “What did you do to make her that upset with you?” I heard Tomohiro asking me as I watched her walk away. When I didn't answer him, Tomohiro followed after her to find out for himself.

Did she really have to be so cold to me? It seemed a bit unfair.  _Do I really deserve to be treated like this?_  It wasn't like I'd done that on purpose. Okay, maybe I did. But I wasn't in control of myself. I didn't enjoy it. Okay, that would be a bit of a lie. I  _did_ enjoy it while I wasn't fully aware of what I was doing. I never wanted to hurt her though.

I loved her; I'd never hurt her.  _But you did hurt her,_ I reminded myself.  _You were her best friend. She trusted you. Then you betrayed her trust in the worst way you could have. You say you love her, but if you really loved her then you wouldn't have raped her._

Maybe I really did deserve this.

 

_(Azami's POV)_

I wanted to believe that last night never happened. I wanted it all to be just a bad dream. The entire time it was happening, I'd kept telling myself it was a dream. Any second I'd wake up right next to Ryosuke as he and Tomohiro were playing their games. Ryosuke would be his normal self and not trying to do such awful things to me.

But life doesn't work like that. It had really happened and I was scared that he might do it again. He'd never seemed like the kind of guy to do that sort of thing, but that just seems to be how things work. Just when I was starting to have feelings for him, he had to go and do something like that.

I hadn't really been paying attention to where I'd been going or who was around me. But hearing Tomohiro's voice calling my name brought me back to reality.

“Azami! Wait up!” He ran up to me and I stopped. It wouldn't be fair to him if I stopped talking to Tomohiro because of Ryosuke. “Why are you so upset with Ryosuke? Did something happen after I left you two?”

 _Ryosuke didn't tell Tomohiro, but he told Fukuroi?_ That didn't really make much sense considering how close the two of them were. “It's nothing,” I lied. It would be better for now if it stayed secret. If Ryosuke didn't tell him, then there must have been a good reason. “We just had a little... disagreement.” That was slightly true if you thought about it.  _Think of it as a physical disagreement rather than him forcing himself on you._

“Oh... Alright then... But don't you think you were a bit-” Tomohiro was interrupted by Shimada pushing him to the side.

“Hey there Azami,” he said with a smirk on his face. I hated Shimada. Right now, I was also a little scared of him. I hadn't been strong enough to fight back against Ryosuke, so if Shimada tried to do the same thing he had, I was definitely screwed. Just that thought alone was enough to put me on edge.

Standing there with my back against the wall, Shimada had me cornered. And hardly anyone was around to really notice.


	6. Shimada

_(Tomohiro's POV)_

Shimada was always pushing me around. I hated it. But that wasn't what was on my mind right now. Azami looked scared as he stood there in front of her. She hated him, everyone knew that. But she was never afraid of him. So why did she look so scared now?

I couldn't just leave her there like that. But I didn't stand a chance against Shimada. Quickly making a decision, I ran off in search of Ryosuke.

Normally Ryosuke wouldn't mess with Shimada. But if Azami was involved, he'd do just about anything. He really liked her a lot. It was obvious to just about everyone, except Azami. She was completely oblivious to it.

I have to admit, I was kind of relieved by that. Part of the reason was because that meant I didn't have to worry as much about him spending more time with her than he did with me. Just the idea of that made me a little jealous. Ryosuke was my best friend, I didn't want any girl taking that away from me. Then there was the fact that I did have a tiny crush on her myself. But because of Ryosuke, I'll never act on it.

When I finally reached him, I quickly told him what was going on. As I'd expected, he rushed to her. Maybe this would even help them make up.

 

_(Azami's POV)_

Too close. Shimada was way too close to me. I shouldn't be so afraid of him. Until now, I never had been afraid. Until what happened with Ryosuke, I'd believe I could stop him if Shimada had tried anything. Now I knew otherwise.

I hadn't really paid any attention to what he'd been saying. All that I really needed to know was that it was probably some disgusting or suggestive pick-up line or comment. That was just the kind of guy he was.

Shimada leaned in a bit more than he had been. All I wanted to do was just melt into the wall as his hand tilted my chin upward. Normally I would have slapped his hand away, but I couldn't even move.

Luckily, someone came to my rescue. He pushed Shimada away from me. “Keep your hands off her!” my rescuer shouted at him. Only then did I realize who it was. The one who was protecting me was the same boy who had hurt me. The boy who I had told that I never wanted to see him again. Even after what I'd said to him, Ryosuke was still protecting me.

At that point I wasn't sure what to feel. I couldn't just forgive him. But how could I hate him after he'd protected me? I had trusted him more than anyone in the world, but he betrayed that trust when he forced himself on me. But then again, he was really beating himself up about it afterward. I didn't even know what to think anymore.

“Azami?” Ryosuke's voice asked, snapping me back to reality. Even if he had protected like this, that didn't make up for what he'd done. After that, I don't think I could ever trust him again. “Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?”

It was funny that he'd ask something like that. At least he didn't get very close to me. He knew I was still upset with him. Deep down, we both knew I had no reason at all to ever forgive him.

I didn't know what to say to him.  _Don't say anything. Just walk away,_ the voice in my head told me. Saying nothing was probably safest. This way if I ever felt that I could forgive him, there would at least be a chance that we could go back to being friends. Of course, acting friendly now would give him the wrong idea.

So, as my conscience decided, I walked away without a word. I didn't even bother to look back either.

 

_(Ryosuke's POV)_

Later that day, many people asked why Azami wasn't speaking to me. For most of the people who asked, I just told them we'd gotten into an argument and she was too stubborn to let me apologize. Of course, Tomohiro and Kurosaki refused to believe that.

“We know that's not what happened,” Kurosaki was saying. I'd been dodging his questions all day. There was no way I would tell him what really happened. If he found out, then chances were the whole school would find out. Then I would be screwed. “Come on, already. Obviously you did something that really upset her. If were just a simple argument she'd have punched you and gotten over it already.”

He was completely right on that. In fact, that had been how Azami and I had become friends in the first place. Not exactly the best way to make a friend, but that's how it worked out.

“Azami didn't want to talk about it either,” Tomohiro told Kurosaki. So he'd asked Azami? What did she tell him?

“Really? You screwed up big time man.” Kurosaki just laughed at me and repeated the same question for probably the millionth time today. “What the hell did you do?”

“He won't tell you,” Tohko said, stepping in. She'd come over to help with Azami after it had happened, but even she didn't know. At least, I hoped she didn't. “But it's pretty bad.”

“So you know?” Kurosaki turned his questions to her instead.

“No. I just know that Fukuroi said that if Mitsuki found out that Katayama would be a dead man.”

“If I found out about what?” came the voice of Hellgirl Mitsuki.

“Nothing!” I said probably a little too defensively before anyone had a chance to say a word. “Just a little argument between friends. Nothing really bad. We're both just overreacting!”

That sounded like a really lame cover-up. It was obvious to everyone, but no one said a word about it until Tohko decided to speak. “Ask Fukuroi.”

I shot him a worried look. He was the only one who knew and I wanted to keep it that way. If Mitsuki really tried though, she could force it out of him. If that happened, I was definitely a dead man.

Kurosaki seemed irritated that Fukuroi knew what I wouldn't tell him or Tomohiro. “Why does he get to know and we don't?”

“Because you would tell the whole school and Tomohiro wouldn't have known how to help him,” Fukuroi covered for me. “What happened is between Azami and Ryosuke. If they don't want to talk about it, then they have every right to keep it to themselves.”

“Yeah but if she was so upset that she told him she hates him and never wants to see him again, sh-” I covered Tohko's mouth before she had a chance to even say any more.

“She said WHAT to him?” Apparently I hadn't acted fast enough. Kurosaki and Tomohiro had already heard.

_Damn it Tohko. Why can't you just keep your mouth shut?_

“What did you do?” Mitsuki's voice had instantly gotten terrifying. I'd hate to think what she'd do if she ever find out what I'd done.

“Ryosuke has been beating himself up about it since it happened,” Fukuroi said, once again helping me out. “It was all an accident and he never meant to hurt her. In fact, I think it's been hurting him much more than it has hurt her.”

Not exactly the best cover, but it was enough for now.


	7. Answers

_(Azami's POV)_

It's been a week since it happened. In all this time, I haven't spoken to Ryosuke. How could I? How could I possible know that he wouldn't do it again the moment we were alone?

“Azami, your friend is on the phone,” my mother called me from the living room. I already knew who it was. He'd tried calling my cell phone several times already. Each time I answered to just to hang up on him.

“I don't want to talk to him!” I told her as I walked into the room. She didn't know why I was mad at Ryosuke, she just knew that I was.

The person on the phone said something to my mother and she relayed the message to me. “He says it's important.”

I took the phone from her. “What do you want?” I said angrily. The voice on the other end sounded upset.

“Azami, I'm so sorry. I-”

“Give me one good reason I shouldn't hang up right this second.” Ryosuke was quiet awhile before he answered me.

“I... I can't...”

As I went to hang up the phone, a different voice came from it.

“Wait! Don't hang up yet!” That was Tomohiro. Immediately I stopped and brought the phone back up to my ear.

“I don't want to talk to him Tomo,” I said in a much softer voice. Even though I'd stopped talking to Ryosuke, I hadn't abandoned my other friend. That wouldn't have been fair to him. Tomohiro would never hurt me the way his best friend had. “I... he's listening to us right now, isn't he?”

When Tomohiro didn't answer, I knew I was right. “Look, I don't want to talk to you with people listening to us. You understand, right?”

Tomohiro then came up with the idea of coming over and talking face-to-face, just the two of us. It was then I decided that if he asked, I would tell him the truth about what had happened. He probably wouldn't believe it even if I did tell me.

About an hour later, the two of us were in my room, laughing and joking around the way we used to. We sat on my bed, facing each other. He was careful not to sit too close, as he always was. Thinking about it now, he had always been so sweet like that. That was just the kind of guy he was. Even in those dating sims that he and Ryosuke always played, he would always treat the girl right.

“Hey, Azami?” he asked, shifting uneasily. “I was just wondering... why do you hate Ryosuke so much?”

That was a tough question to answer. “I... I don't really hate him,” I admitted, looking away.

“Then why won't you talk to him?”

 _Don't cry. Whatever you do, don't cry._ “Because I really trusted him and then he hurt me... He...” Unable to bring myself to say out loud, I leaned in really close to him. Then I whispered what Ryosuke had done to me in Tomohiro's ear.


	8. The Kiss

_(Tomohiro's POV)_

When Azami had told me, I couldn't believe it. Sure, I knew that Ryosuke had really wanted to do things to her, but never thought he'd actually force her. It wasn't like him. If I didn't know Azami as well as I did, then I'd have thought she made it up.

“He couldn't... He'd never do something like that...” I was trying to convince myself, but it all added up. It all made perfect sense. But why did he do it? Thinking about it, I could have done something to stop it. If I hadn't left them alone that night, he wouldn't have hurt her. “Azami... I... I should have been there. If I had... I swear if I'd known...”

“It's alright...” Her words were saying she was fine, but her voice told me otherwise. On the outside, she was struggling to stay calm. It made me wonder just how she was feeling inside if she was this shaky on the outside.

She was barely keeping herself under control, it was so obvious it hurt. Finally, she lost it and tears came pouring out. It killed me seeing her like this. I pulled her close and let her bury her face in my chest. If Ryosuke was going to hurt her like this, then he didn't deserve her.

Looking down at her, pulled her away. She looked up at me as I placed my hand on her cheek and wiped the tears away. Without even thinking, I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers. She was surprised, but soon I felt her kissing back.

After I'd seen how she reacted to the kiss, I carefully laid her back on the bed without breaking away. Seconds after we were in our new position, she pulled away with a scared look on her face. Azami had every right to be afraid, but with me she didn't have to be. “I'll never hurt you like he did,” I told her, my eyes never leaving hers. “I won't do anything you don't want me to.”

She nodded and I kissed her again. I placed one hand on her waist, careful not to go too low or under her shirt. After being raped by her best friend, I doubted she'd want things to get anywhere close to that. Meaning she'd probably never let anyone go any further than this. But I was alright with that. As long as she was happy, that was all that mattered.

Just then, her bedroom door opened. The person standing there wasn't who I'd expected at all. The moment Ryosuke saw me there with her, he ran back out the door. As he ran off, I could have sworn I saw tears in his eyes.


	9. Ryoauke's Broken Heart

_(Ryosuke's POV)_

The moment I saw them together, it was like the world was crashing down around me. He was kissing her. Tomohiro was kissing the girl that I loved.

I'd run out of the room almost immediately. There wasn't even time for any of us to say anything.

Until now, I didn't pay any attention to the world around me. I just wanted to get away from them. Now I found myself in a small park. This had been the place where Tomohiro and I had met when we were kids. Back then, we weren't nearly as obsessed with games.

With I sigh, I leaned against a large tree. Letting myself slide down into a sitting position, I rested my arms on my knees. How could Tomohiro have done this to me? He knew how I felt about Azami, yet he still did it. As I sat there thinking about it, I lost track of the time.

“Katayama?” a familiar voice called out to me. When I looked up, Mitsuki was standing just a few feet in front of me. “What are you doing out here this late?”

“Oh... hey Yamamoto...” I wasn't feeling much like talking, but this was Hellgirl Mitsuki. You never, ever go against her if you can help it.

“You alright? What's... are you crying?” The question surprised me a bit. If I was, then I didn't even notice.

I touched my hand to my face; it was wet. “Huh... I guess I have been,” I said with a small laugh. It was one of those sad ones you'd see in an anime or one of those lame drama movies.

“What happened?”

“Tomohiro...”

I think that shocked her more than anything else had tonight. “You two never fight. What happened?”

That was when I had to explain everything. I admitted what I had done to Azami and made it clear how much I was suffering because of that little mistake. From there, I explained how she had been acting towards me and then how I'd walked in on the two of them when I'd gone to tell Azami how I felt about her.

“He knew how I felt about her,” I said bitterly. Tomohiro was my best friend and he just stabbed me in the back. “He knew from the moment the three of us starting spending time together. If he didn't have any clue then it wouldn't be nearly as bad. But he  _knew._ What kind of friend would do something like that?”

“Katayama...” she sighed, comfortingly place he hand on my shoulder. She was quiet a moment before saying anything. “Maybe you should talk to Tomohiro about it. There may be more to the situation than you know.”

That wasn't wanted to hear right now. Regardless, I fought the urge to yell at her. She wasn't called Hellgirl Mitsuki for nothing.

I sat there in silence, wondering just what to do. It was obvious Tomohiro wanted to do what he was doing; he was on top of her after all. If he'd really been my friend, wouldn't he have stopped himself? And another thing, if he felt like that about her, how come he never mentioned it? Sure, it was obvious to him that I was pretty crazy about her, but he should have said something anyway.

_Why did it have to be you, Tomohiro? Anyone else I could understand, but you? You were my best friend. How could you do that to me?_


	10. Azami's Feelings

_(Azami's POV)_

The moment Ryosuke had walked in on us and run out, Tomohiro couldn't bring himself to continue what we had been doing. Maybe it was for the better.

To be honest, I wasn't really sure I felt like that about him. Was I just caught up in the moment? In a way, it was more like a way of comforting me than anything. But was it that way for Tomohiro? I hadn't even thought about any of it. Could I possibly have led him on, thinking that I might feel that way? It was all so confusing.

 

“Azami? Can I tell you something?” Ryosuke's voice asked, pulling my attention from the sky. I turned my head towards him, finding him laying next to me on the ground. We were in some sort of field with nothing but grass and dandelions as far as you can see. I don't remember ever being here before.

“I really like you, Azami,” he told me, laying on his side and propping his head up on his hand. I tried to say something, but no sound came out. “Could I... could I try something?”

I sat up and he soon followed. Again, no sound came out when I tried to speak. Something seemed off about this whole situation.

Ryosuke leaned towards me, placing his hand on my cheek. This was too familiar... but why? I was going to push him away, but my body wouldn't obey me. It was like I was just watching everything through another person's eyes.

All I could do was watch helplessly as his lips gently touched mine. This feel... this has happened before, but I can't remember. My body moves on its own, wrapping my arms around him as his lips caressed mine.

For a moment, all my thoughts are gone and all I can do is wish that this wouldn't end. In seconds, we're laying on the ground and things are quickly getting more heated. But then I remembered why all this seemed so familiar.

That had been how Tomohiro had kissed me. But this had gone much further than it had when it was Tomohiro. I'd been crying that time, but why? Then I remembered what Ryosuke had done.

 _This isn't real..._ I realized. This was a dream.

I sat up in my bed immediately. That dream had felt too real. Not only that, it made me even more confused about everything. Ryosuke had been like he used to be. Did that mean that maybe he was still the same? Had that just been a moment where he'd lost himself? He'd tried to tell me he was sorry more than a few times. Could I really believe that though?

 

The next morning, I couldn't even make myself go to school. I didn't want to face either of them just yet. I didn't want Tomohiro to mention our kiss that probably shouldn't have happened at all. I didn't want to face Ryosuke after such an intimate dream. Hell, I didn't even want to see anyone.

Later that night, my mother had a solution for part of my problem. She'd noticed how I had been troubled about something lately, and had come up with something to help. “Your cousin Naho called today,” mom told me. I wasn't sure why she was bringing this up, but I listened anyway. “She asked about you and I told her how you've been having such a hard time lately. So we came up with an idea.”

Naho was my cousin about a year older than me. She lived kinda far from me, so we didn't get to see each other much, but we'd always been pretty close anyways.

“On your next school break, why don't you go stay with Naho for awhile?” It wasn't a bad idea. “Get away and think things over without any distractions. Then when you come back, you'll be able to make things go back to normal or get over it and start over.”

It really was a brilliant idea. Maybe I would go stay with Naho for awhile. Maybe then I could figure out how I really feel about Ryosuke and Tomohiro.


	11. What Do I Do?

_(Ryosuke's POV)_

I didn't want to be here today. Not after what I'd seen last night. How could Tomohiro have done that to me? He was supposed to have been my friend. Guess I was just an idiot to think he was.

“Hey! Ryosuke!” I could hear his voice calling after me. “Ryosuke! Wait up a minute!”

A hand landed on my shoulder, but I just smacked it away without even looking at who it was. I didn't even need to. “Ryosuke?” Damn him. Did he not realize how upset I was with him? “Ryosuke, say something already!”

Okay, at this point I was pretty pissed. “Just leave me the hell alone!” I shouted at Tomohiro.

“But I-” Tomohiro looked hurt as I turned to face him.

“Just shut up! You... You damned... You backstabbing son of a...” I was so mad I couldn't even put it into words. "How could you do that? You knew how I felt!"

“After what you did to her, you don't even deserve her!”

That was too far.

 

_(Kurosaki's POV)_

When Ryosuke threw a punch at Tomohiro, I didn't know what to think. Those two never fought. They didn't even argue. Well, except little playful arguments over the girls in those dating sims they played. I always believed that the day those two got into a fight, that the world would be coming to an end.

Though I had to admit, when Tomohiro actually fought back a little I was very surprised. Though I knew that we had to split those two up before there was any serious damage. But with as pissed as Ryosuke looked, this wasn't going to be easy. It would take Kizami at the very least to break it up.

Dashing into the classroom really quick to get them, I shouted out to the only two I could think of “Fukuroi! Kizami! We need you two out here now!”

 

Eventually we separated Ryosuke and Tomohiro, but neither of them stuck around afterward. What could possibly have started the fight? It would have had to have been something serious.

“Why would Ryosuke do that? Talking like that to Tomohiro and attacking him... it was a bit much,” I said, saying what everyone was thinking.

“If I had to guess, it had something to do with Azami.” Fukuroi had a really good point. Things with those three had been pretty screwy lately.

“I think he was pretty harsh on Ohkawa though,” Tohko added. “He'd never do anything to hurt Ryosuke.”

“Ohkawa deserved it.” That statement alone was a scary thought. Even scarier was who it had come from.

“Mitsuki, there's no way he could have-” She cut me off before I could even finish thinking my next words.

“Ohkawa knew what he was doing. He knew about Katayama's feelings about her and still he made a move on her.”

“Yeah, but that's still no reason for him to be that pissed off,” I tried to argue.

“Katayama walked in on them when he'd gone to tell her how he felt. You wouldn't be defending Ohkawa so easily if you could have seen how crushed he was...” I didn't like the look on Mitsuki's face. Her next words I liked even less.

“Katayama has been really beating himself up about what he did to Azami and when he saw Ohkawa with her... he was so hurt that he was actually crying.”

Did he really feel that strongly about her? And if Tomohiro knew that, just where did that leave him? And another thing, where did  _she_  stand in this mess?

 

_(Azami's POV)_

It's been three days since that dream about Ryosuke. Even though I'd like to, I can't seem to make myself forget it. Staying away from him has done some good though. For the first time in awhile, I felt like I could think clearly.

Here I was, sitting and talking with a new friend in a small coffee shop. I'd been told by Naho that he worked with her mentor Kibiki. After the mess with Ryosuke and Tomohiro, I didn't want to be around anyone like them for awhile. So spending this time with Taguchi, even if just as a friend, was all I really needed to help clear my head.

He was talking on and on about his latest projects, though I didn't understand but just a little of it. But I listened anyway. Even if my mind was on something else right now, it was no excuse to be rude.

“Something on your mind?” Taguchi asked, making me realize that I'd been pretty quiet for awhile now.

“Sorry, just something that was going on when I left,” I said, shifting my gaze to the window next to us. I hoped he wouldn't ask more about it. This was something that would probably be better left unsaid.

“I'm not the best with a lot of things, but sometimes it helps more than anything just to talk about things that are bothering you.” Taguchi had a really good point. But how could I possibly talk about something like this to someone who was practically a stranger?

Then again, sometimes strangers were easier to talk to than your friends. Strangers don't know the bad things in your past and can help you figure out what to do without favoring one side over the other.

But even so, what do I do? Not just about telling him, but about Ryosuke and Tomohiro too. Just what should I do?


	12. Memories Of Us

_(Ryosuke's POV)_

She left without even saying a word. Azami just left us and didn't tell us a thing about it. Sure, she was going to be back as soon as we go back to school, but I didn't want to go that long without seeing her. I really needed to talk to her.

That's why I talked to her mother and found out where she was. I had to tell her how I felt. Now here I was, standing on the sidewalk and looking through the window of a little coffee shop from across the street.

What I saw was something I'd hoped I wouldn't see. From where I stood, I could see Azami sitting with another guy. She looked so happy, like she was having a good time. Seeing her like that, I just couldn't bring myself to go over there. No, if she was happy with someone else, then I will let her be happy. I won't bother her ever again. I love her too much to cause her more pain.

As I turned and walked away, I couldn't help but think back to all the times we've spent together.

The day we became friends... I was so irritated about being beaten by someone else that I'd said such rude things about someone who I didn't even realize was standing right there.

“ _That guy's a jackass,”_

“ _Wizzy's not a jackass.”_

” _What do you know? He your boyfriend or something?”_ If I'd had any idea that she'd been the “guy” that I'd been insulting, I probably would never have said a word.  _“You probably don't know a thing about games. Don't go defending someone you don't even know anything about.”_

“ _You shouldn't insult someone you don't know anything about!”_ She defended them as if the person were someone she'd known as a friend and never even gave any hints that she was the one who was being insulted.  _“I bet you didn't even know that Wizzy is a girl!_

She ended up punching me that day. I never thought a girl could hit that hard. But from that one moment, I could already tell that I was falling for her. Pretty ironic if you think about it.

The one time I actually asked her out and almost got punched a second time.

“ _Grrr... He's such a... I'm gonna... Ugh!”_ Man she was pissed. But she was one of those kinds of girls who got even cuter when they were angry. I guess that's why I was so drawn to her at first.

“ _Hey.”_

“ _What do you want?”_

“ _I just wanted to apologize.”_ I hadn't even wanted to believe Fukuroi when he'd told me about her.  _“Look, I was just upset because you finished that guide before I could and even had details I didn't even know about. I shouldn't have said all of those things. But I guess since you punched me, that makes us even.”_

“ _You deserved more than that.”_

“ _You know, you're kinda hot when you're mad. Are you looking for a partner?”_

“ _Depends on what kind of partner you mean.”_

“ _For the site. But I wouldn't mind being_ that _kind of partner.”_

“ _I'd rather screw Shimada.”_ That little insult sounds kinda funny now. I think she hated him a little less then. Maybe she hated him more now because of how he always pushed Tomohiro around.

“ _Okay, okay. What about a date?”_

“ _If you want that then you'll have to earn it. Maybe if you help out with the site and behave yourself, then maybe I'll consider it.”_

Ever since that moment, I've been pretty crazy about her.

The first time Azami had ever tried a dating sim.

“ _You're making a website just for information om video games and have played every type out there, but you haven't played any dating sims?”_

“ _I guess I never thought about it before.”_

“ _You're really missing out.”_

That day that I'd made the worst mistake of my life. That had been the day that I'd... I really hurt her. I hurt her in a way that I could never make up for. If she never forgave me, I don't blame her. I would never forgive myself for it.

“ _I'm gonna go... I'll see yo-”_ I remember how I'd been feeling that night. All night I'd been struggling to keep myself under control, but in the end it didn't even matter. I hadn't been able to stop myself from hurting her. No matter how hard I'd tried, in the end it didn't even matter.

“ _W-what are you doing?”_ Her voice seemed so far away then. Even though I cold hear her, it was it was just an echo to me.

“ _Ryosuke?”_ Even now, as her voice is echoing through my mind, she's still so far away.  _“Ryosuke, stop!”_ I couldn't do anything then. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't stop.

Maybe it doesn't really matter now. I'd missed my chance with her. No, I ruined it. Because I hadn't been strong enough to tell her how I'd felt long ago... Because I couldn't stop myself from causing her pain, I ruined any chance I would have had. Dwelling on it now... maybe it's just a waste on time.

I guess all I really have now are these memories of us. Even if it means that I can never talk to her again, I want to make sure she's happy. If being with someone else was what would make her happy, then I wouldn't interfere. It's a painful thought, but it's better if I walk away now before I ruin her life even more.

Maybe I could still patch things up with Tomohiro. It's clear that she never had any feelings for me, so it's time to stop dwelling on it and forgive him for doing what he did. Besides, she wouldn't want the two of us fighting.

Regardless, I can't just forget how I feel. I won't try to tell her anymore, but I'm not just going to let it go. I'll just keep it inside. If she wants to be friends, I'll let that be her choice. That's what I'm going to do; because I love her.

 

_(Azami's POV)_

“So maybe you should just give him a chance to explain himself,” Taguchi was saying. It's funny how talking about someone who'd hurt me could make me feel so happy. But then again, becoming friends with a guy who called me a jackass and got punched by me for doing so isn't exactly normal. “I'm no love expert or anything, but I would bet that he really cares a lot about you.”

Taguchi was probably right about that. In a way, it did make sense. It explained everything: the way he was always so excited to meet up... why he tried so hard to help me even after I'd punched him for calling me a jackass when he didn't know he was doing it... the worried look on his face that night... the way he'd protected me from Shimada even after I'd told him that I hated hem and never wanted to see him again...

But even so, after the way I'd acted towards him lately, I couldn't just go up to him and talk to him. “I can't just walk up to him and ask him to explain himself. That's just not how things work; it's not how I do things.”

“Then let him be the one to make the move. All you have to do is listen. As long as you don't run away, everything will work out,” he said with a smile. “Things will always find a way to work themselves out, if they are meant to.”

 _Things will always find a way to work themselves out if they are meant to..._ But was this one of those things that were meant to work out? As much as I didn't want to admit it, the thought of losing Ryosuke completely... it really scared me... even more than what he'd done that night. I didn't want him to become just another distant memory.

Maybe I... Did I really love him even after everything that had happened?


	13. Apology

_(Azami's POV)_

After having spent two whole weeks with Naho and her friends, I wasn't exactly thrilled to be back home. I still hadn't entirely decided what to do about the situation with Ryosuke. Taguchi's advice did help me to clear my head more though.

But even if I didn't quite want to face him or Tomohiro quite yet, I had to admit that I did miss them. Even after everything that has happened, they were the greatest friends I'd ever had. Nothing could ever change that fact. But that was what made all this that much harder to fix when it came to what had happened with Ryosuke.

As much as I cared, I couldn't just forgive him that easily.

“Azami, can we talk a minute?”

Hearing a voice speaking to me, I turned around quickly. Part of me had been hoping it was Ryosuke, though I doubted he'd try talking to me the first day back. But at least it was a friend who had spoken. “Hey Tomohiro,” I greeted him with a smile. “What did you want to talk about?”

Even though I asked, I was sure I already knew. It was pretty obvious with the anxious look on his face and the way he nervously scratching the back of his head. No doubt, this had something to do with the kiss. “About... well... you know...”

I just nodded. “I think it would be best if we forget that it happened.”

I had been expecting him to be disappointed, but instead he looked relieved. “That's what I was thinking too,” he said, smiling a little. “Um... not that I would have minded if you felt like that about me... I... I just wasn't thinking when I... when I did that and... I... I really shouldn't have done that.”

Tomohiro always acted so cute when he was embarrassed. Sometimes it made me wonder why no girl seemed to show any interest in him. His obsession with games and his extreme (and somewhat misleading) closeness with Ryosuke probably was working against him though. “It's alright,” I reassured him. “It was just one of those things that just happen that you can't do anything about. Neither of us were thinking clearly, so it would be best to forget and go back to being just the closest of friends... Just like before anything happened.”

He was quiet a minute. “Is that just for me or are you talking about Ryosuke too?”

Tomohiro had a good point. “That depends on Ryosuke,” I said slowly after thinking it over. “If he wants everything to go back the way it was, then it will be up to him to decide that.”

“Do you want things with him to go back to the way they were before?” Another good question. But this one's answer was still a mystery. Before I even had a chance to really think about it, someone interrupted the conversation.

“Hey, Tomohiro,” I heard Ryosuke's voice calling to his friend. He walked up to us, though he seemed to ignore me. “Can we talk?”

As the two walked off, I didn't know what was more confusing: Ryosuke acting like I wasn't even there, or the uneasy way he had asked if he could talk with Tomohiro. Obviously, there had been something that happened between those two that I wasn't aware of yet. I could only hope that I hadn't caused it.

 

_(Ryosuke's POV)_

Even if things would never be the same with Azami, I could still make things right with Tomohiro. That was what I had decided. But I couldn't help but wonder if I should try to apologize just one more time. If I were going to though, I'd have to plan it out very carefully.

But first I had to deal with Tomohiro. He didn't really deserve the way I'd acted towards him. I didn't even consider listening to his side of the story. Now I had to make up for what had happened. The two of us had been friends since we were kids; if he couldn't forgive me, the there's no way Azami ever could.

Once we were far enough away from her, I turned to my former best friend. “I... I may have overreacted a little...” This was a lot harder than I'd thought it would be. In my head, I'd planned it all out, but now I had no clue what to really say. “I shouldn't have hit you. You didn't really do anything wrong. Well, you really shouldn't have... you know... But I should have at least heard your side of it before acting the way I did.”

Tomohiro just shook his head. “You were upset. You didn't really mean it.” My heart ached as he gave me a smile. Even though I'd acted the way I did, he would still forgive me. “I really shouldn't have done it. Even though I knew how you felt, I still did it. So I did kind of deserve it.”

“If you felt like that about her though, then I have no right to be angry at you. Not after the things I've done.”

“She doesn't feel the same about me, so it really doesn't matter.” Even though I knew he must be upset about that, he still kept up a fairly cheerful attitude. “She didn't say why, but I think it was because of you.”

“I ruined her life and she'll probably never want to be close to anyone ever again.” No matter how much I wished that was a lie, I knew it was true. I had been her best friend, maybe even more than that to her, and then I hurt her. Who wouldn't hate me if they were in her place? “Because of my stupid mistake, she hates me.”

“She doesn't hate you.”

I wished I could believe that. “Azami told me herself that she hated me.” Tohko had even told everyone that. So why would Tomohiro even believe that she wouldn't?

As if he knew the thought in my head, he answered that question for me. “The night I kissed her, I asked her why she hated you. She told me that she didn't, that she was just really hurt.” There was a moment of quiet before he added one more thing. “If she doesn't after what happened, I doubt she would ever hate you.”

 _It doesn't matter,_ I thought myself. I'd decided that I wouldn't interfere with her life anymore, and I intended to stick to that decision. “Anyway, I'm sorry about... you know...” I apologized, hoping to change the subject.

In no time, we were talking like we used to. Our conversations were cut short, however, when Tomohiro realized he'd basically just ditched Azami. Clearly embarrassed at his mistake, he rushed off down the hallway, hoping to catch up with her.

A few steps later, he stopped and turned back to me. “Hey Ryosuke,” Tomohiro's voice called back to me. “You want to meet up later and try out a new game?”


	14. Leaving

_(Azami's POV)_

From the moment I'd come back after visiting with Naho, Ryosuke seemed different. No matter how much I thought about it though, I just couldn't think of any reason why. After awhile, I began to wonder if maybe I shouldn't have come back at all.

“I don't understand it...” I sighed, looking up at the sky. “Before he left, I couldn't get him to leave me alone; now I can't even get him to look at me.” Even if it was a beautiful day, it still couldn't help me lose this bad mood.

“Just give him some time and he'll come around,” Tomohiro reassured me with that adorable smile of his. “If I know Ryosuke as well as I think I do, he'll never completely give up on something that is important to him.”

I wanted to believe him. Everything would soon get better it'll be just like before any of this mess ever happened; that's what I wanted to believe. Though deep down, I had a feeling that this would the closest things would ever be to the way they were before.

“Maybe I shouldn't have come back.”

Tomohiro sat quietly a moment, watching the clouds drifting across the sky. “Do you wish you had stayed with your cousin?”

“Yes... No... I don't know...” “I'm not even sure what I want anymore... I think it would have just been better if I weren't here. If I had never started that website, then I would never have punched Ryosuke. If that hadn't happened, we never would have become friends. And if we weren't friends...”

“... None of this would have ever happened.” Tomohiro finished my sentence before I had a chance. Or maybe I didn't even want to say it. “But is that really what you want? You always said that you felt really lonely before you started spending time with us.”

Even if I didn't want to hear it, he was right. Before I'd gotten to know him and Ryosuke, I really had been lonely... Honestly, I just wanted everything to go back to how it was. But now it was too late for that... wasn't it? “If you wanted to, you could always go back...”

 

_(Tomohiro's POV)_

I hated to think about Azami leaving us. Despite everything that happened and everything she was feeling, I wanted her to stay here at Byakudan. I wanted her to stay here with me... with Ryosuke... with everyone... Even if Masato and the others weren't really that close of friends with her, we should stay together...

But I guess that's pretty selfish of me... Azami wanted to leave. If that was what would make her happy, then I would let her go. Of course, I wasn't about to let her leave without saying goodbye.

She'd specifically said not to say a word about it to Ryosuke, but she didn't say anything about anyone else. I'd promised that she would be the one to tell Ryosuke and that no one would say a word to him about it unless he asked about it. So while we avoided talking to him about it, the rest of us were busy planning out a small little going-away party.

 

When the day finally came, we all gathered in the student council room. I was a bit surprised that Masato had allowed it, but Azami was sort of his friend too.

By now, I was certain that she'd told Ryosuke about this. But glancing around, he was nowhere in sight. In fact, I hadn't even seen him since the last class I had with him.  _Maybe he's just upset... He'll show up later._ I kept telling myself that, certain that he would come in at any second.

All throughout the party, I kept waiting for him show up. But by the time Azami had to go back home, he still hadn't come. As I watched her leaving, with Ryosuke still having not shown up, I could feel my heart sinking in my chest. I'd been so sure he'd come... now it hurt to know he didn't even care to say goodbye...

_Maybe Ryosuke really has given up on her..._

 

_(Ryosuke's POV)_

As I made my way back through the school's empty hallways, I passed by Tomohiro. It was strange for him to be here still, but I didn't question it. Shimada probably forced him to do something for him or Hellgirl dragged him into cleaning up the student council room.

Tomohiro didn't seem to notice me, which was strange for him. Not only that, he looked kind of down. Maybe something happened that I didn't know about yet... “Hey Tomohiro,” I said as I smiled at him, hoping to cheer him up a little. Even though I'd only come back to get my game that I'd forgotten, I could at least try to cheer up my best friend.

“Hey Ryosuke...” He seemed surprised to see me. “Did you change your mind about saying goodbye to her?”

That caught my attention. Saying goodbye? Who could I possibly have any reason to say goodbye to? I looked at him, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“You mean Azami didn't tell you?” Tomohiro's voice sounded unsure. Was there something I was supposed to know?

“Tell me what?” What could Azami possibly have to say to me? It couldn't have anything to do with him being upset right now... could it?

“She never told you that she was leaving?” My entire body froze at that last word.  _Leaving._ I had to have heard him wrong. There was no reason for her to go, unless... No, she wouldn't leave just because of what happened with us. “Today was her last day before she was going to move in with her cousin and transfer to another school.”

I had to forcibly stop myself from shaking him and attacking him with a million questions. “What!?” She couldn't really be... could she? If she was, then why didn't anyone tell me? Everyone else knew but they never said a word. “Where is she now?”

“She left just a little while ago. Azami's probably at home taking care of some last minute stuff.”

I couldn't just let her go. Not when this might be the last chance I ever get. Until now, I had always screwed up every chance that came up. Not anymore!

Before Tomohiro had even finished speaking, I'd already started running. This would probably be the stupidest thing I'd ever do, but I didn't care. All that mattered was that I made it to her before she was gone forever.

_I can't let her go without telling her how I really feel. If this is the last time I'll ever see her, then I have to do this now before it's too late!_


	15. One Last Chance

_(Ryosuke's POV)_

Even though it was probably incredibly stupid, and way too much like something out of a dating sim, I didn't care. All the way from the school to her home, I ran. I didn't care if I couldn't even breathe by the time I got there; I just had to get to her before I missed my last chance.

As she came into sight, I saw her putting a box-shaped object in the back seat of a car I'd never seen before. “Wait!”

When she heard me calling out, she turned to face me with a look of surprise. “Ryosuke?”

“Don't go!” I said, well aware that I was sounding very desperate. In an attempt to keep her from leaving, I reached out an grabbed her arm.

“Ryosuke... I have to-” she started to say, but I stopped her. Even if she hates me for all eternity, I had to do this. Azami flinched, making me realize just how tightly I'd been holding onto her.

“Why didn't you tell me?” I asked her as I loosened my grip, but I didn't let go. Part of me was hoping she would say something like 'I never had a chance' or 'I didn't want to have to say goodbye.' That's what she'd have said if this were a dating sim. But this was reality, not some game; things don't ever work like that. Azami didn't even answer...

“Please just listen. I have to say this now or I never will,” I started. Before I knew it, everything that I'd kept in, everything I'd never been able to tell her... it all came pouring out.

 

_(Azami's POV)_

“I've wanted to tell you for so long now.”

“Ryos-” His grip on my arm tightened again, telling me to let him speak. I was trying to explain to him why I was leaving, but he wasn't going to let me say anything until he'd said what he had to say.

“I have to say this now before I miss my chance.” Ryosuke's voiced sounded different that it normally did. In a way, it sounded... broken... like he was giving it one last try before giving up completely. “Until now, I've either screwed up or something else got in the way every time I tried to tell you.”

“Wh-” No matter what, I couldn't seem to get a single word out. I guess that meant that I would just have to let him say everything. Unless I could find a way to shut him up.

“Ever since that first time we spoke, I've felt something for you.” the more he went on, the more sad and desperate he began to sound. Watching him, hearing him, it was heartbreaking. Almost painful. “Even though I'd insulted you and said some mean things, you were still willing to give me a chance at being your friend.”

“After getting to know you, I fell for you even more. And that night that I...” Ryosuke trailed off. He probably didn't want to even mention what had happened. I didn't even want to remember it either... “That night I was struggling to keep control of myself, because every time you touched me or moved a certain way, it pushed me even closer to my limit.”

“I didn't even really know what I was doing until it was too late... Even though I could hear you begging me to stop, it was like you were so far away...” Honestly, I wasn't even sure he was thinking about anything he was saying at this point. Everything that was coming out was just he was thinking it, with no chance for him to make any of it up. “No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't stop myself...”

“You have no idea how much I still hate myself for that... And when you told me you hated me, it killed me.” Ryosuke finally let go of my arm and looked down at the ground. “Seeing you kiss Tomohiro... and later seeing you with that guy in the red hoodie... It hurt more than you could ever imagine. It just reminded me that I had ruined any chance I had to make you mine...”

“I've been wanting to tell you this and if I don't, then I know I'll never get another chance. Azami, I lo-” Before he even had a chance to say the rest of that word, I stopped him by pressing my lips to his. I could feel his entire body freeze and his eyes grow wide from shock. But once he had recovered from the surprise of it, he quickly wrapped his arms around me. His kiss was gentle, but his grip was tight, almost like he was afraid that I'd disappear if he let go.

After breaking away, I hugged him tightly. Even if it was wrong for me to feel the way I did after everything that had happened, it didn't matter to me. “You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say that...”

The moment the words left my lips, a smile spread across his face. “I love you, Azami.”

“I love you too, Ryosuke.” I buried my face in his chest. This was the one place where I wanted to stay forever. “Even though you hurt me... I could never hate you...”

For what felt like forever, neither of us spoke. No one wanted to spoil this moment that we'd both been waiting for. As I stood there in his arms, I remembered something he'd said in that jumble of words that had been his confession. “Did you say you saw me with a guy in a red hoodie?”

“Yeah...” he admitted, looking embarrassed. It was actually sort of cute. “I wanted to tell you how I felt, so I went all the way over there when you were visiting with your cousin. But when I saw how happy you were with him, I just couldn't do it.”

He actually got jealous of  _Taguchi?_ Sure, he might have been a little cute, but he was nothing to be jealous of. I burst out laughing, earning me a look of confusion from the guy holding me. “Ryosuke, I was happy because I was talking to him about  _you._ ”

“What?!” Ryosuke pulled back for just a moment. It was like he was trying to read my mind to see if what I was saying was true. “You're kidding me, right?”

“I'm not kidding.” Once again, I was being hugged a little too tightly... but honestly, who could blame him after hearing what he'd gone through? Noticing my mother standing by the window with Naho and her friend Taguchi, I remembered why I was out here. Ryosuke wasn't going to be very happy about this... “I kinda need to go...”

He glanced over in the direction I'd been looking, instantly picking up on what was happening. “Don't leave me...”

I pulled myself out of his grip and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before walking back towards the house. Before I'd even gone a few steps, his hand shot out and grabbed a hold of mine. “Ryosuke-”

“Please stay with me...”


	16. Because I Love You

“That's one more win for me,” I said, defeating my boyfriend's character for probably the fiftieth time today. To be honest, I was a bit concerned that he'd let me win so many times. “Ryosuke, are you even trying? You haven't won a single match today and we've been playing this game for hours.”

He said nothing and avoided looking at me. Now I was absolutely sure that something was bothering him. I wish I could say I didn't have a clue, but the truth was, I knew  _exactly_ what it was.

“Ryosuke, look at me.” Reluctantly, he turned his head towards me, giving me a good look at the depressed expression on his face. “Tell me what's wrong.”

“Why do you ask when you already know?”

“Because I want you to say it.” I placed my hand on his as he let out a sigh.

“You know I hate you being so far away from me all the time...” Ryosuke admitted, confirming what I already knew. He was upset that I'd still went to stay with Naho even after he'd begged me to stay. But at that time, I had made a decision and I had to stick with it. Backing out at the last second would have just been cowardly.

“Ryosuke... We've been over this...”

“I know that... But...” He didn't finish his sentence, but I knew what would have followed.  _That doesn't mean it doesn't upset me._

Leaning on his shoulder, I tried my best to think of some way to put his mind at ease. It was the distance between us that was hurting him, but the only way I could do anything about that would be to come back.  _That's it!_

With a smile, I placed a kiss on my boyfriend's cheek before telling him my idea. “Ryosuke? If you can win the next battle against me, I'll move back here as soon as the term is over,” I offered, bringing a smile to his face and a spark of hope in his eyes.

“You mean it?”

“Of course I mean it.”

Now that he had something to fight for, the battle was going to get interesting. For a moment, I considered letting him win, but decided I shouldn't. Not only would he be able to tell, but he would be upset about it. So we both had to play our best, and let fate decide the winner.

“I-I lost...”

Despite his best attempt, he was just too out of it today. But I still smiled because I knew something he didn't. “Ryosuke, you were trying your hardest, weren't you?” I asked him, leaning on his shoulder.

He wouldn't look at me, but he still wrapped his arms around me. “I really hate this, you know...” His voice was soft, just barely above a whisper. “Just when I finally had you, you had to leave me again... It's like you're always so far away when the only thing I want is for you to be right here...”

Ryosuke's grip tightened. I was almost tempted to point out that it was mostly his fault for taking so long to tell me how he felt, but I had a feeling that it would just make him feel worse. He'd been through enough already. “It's just not fair...”

The room was silent for a moment. “Want to know a secret?”I asked, breaking the depressing quiet. Ryosuke looked over at me, clearly confused as to why I was smiling. But the moment I leaned over and whispered in his ear, he couldn't hold back a smile. “I was going to come back after the term was over anyway.”


End file.
